WEEK 4 CHALLENGES

Not Acting on the Urge

Goal:

Our last week 🥲, but as mentioned in the call, if you need me afterward, we can continue with calls or in any format that works best for you.

This week, I want to fully focus on changing your reactions and not acting on urges.

I’ve taken specific situations we discussed during our calls and bundled them here. No new challenges like in previous weeks, but rather a deeper focus on the existing ones :)

All Week

Anti-False Lies Steps (Challenge 10)

🔔 Let’s work on silencing that voice in your head that tries to keep the habit alive.

You, Nastja, know BETTER. You are the adult here, and you won’t let it talk you into a behavior that brings no benefit to you.

First-Reaction Steps

  1. Spot the Lie: Recognize when "it" tells you that you're not doing enough, and that you should eat as a result.

  2. Debunk the Lie with Truth: Remind yourself, “I am doing enough. This is a false belief trying to make me feel guilty, so that I keep eating in response."

  3. Realize Eating Won’t Fix It: Even if you felt you weren’t doing enough, eating won’t solve the problem or make you feel better in the long run.

Follow Up Steps

  1. Identify "It’s" Intent: Understand that "it" is trying to keep the emotional eating habit alive, because your brain thinks it's a solution.

  2. See "It" Neutrally: Your brain is just making a mistake, it’s trying to help you based on old habits. But you know better, and this is just a "system error."

  3. Pause and Breathe: When you feel the urge, take a few deep breaths. Recognize that the emotion and the urge will pass.

  4. Choose a Healthy Response: Engage in a healthy activity that actually addresses the emotion—talk to someone, write in your journal, or simply sit with the feeling (→ challenge 9).

  5. Celebrate Every Victory: Each time you don’t act on the urge, celebrate your progress. You're weakening the habit and regaining control.

All Week

When Home Alone (Challenge 11)

🔔 Here are just some things to remember when the urges arise, or when you give into them. You got this time alone, I believe in you 💪🏻

  • You don’t need to be perfect: You are practicing and facing new situations each day, which gives you the chance to practice and learn. You don’t need to add extra pressure by expecting to perfectly heal. It takes time, and always remind yourself of the successes you’ve experienced. Go back into your journey and focus on them :)

  • Think of the T-shirt analogy: We want to take T-shirt after T-shirt off the clothing line, but don’t expect it to be empty overnight. The less you react to your emotions by binge eating, the better. At some point, there will be no more clothes hanging.

SOS-reaction Plan 🆘

  1. Pause & Breathe: When the urge arises, take a moment to pause. Inhale deeply for 4 counts, hold for 4, and exhale for 4. Repeat until you feel a bit calmer.

  2. Acknowledge the Urge: Tell yourself, “This is just a habit trying to survive.” Recognize it as a false signal and not something you must act on.

  3. Debunk the Lie: Remind yourself that eating won’t solve anything. Even if things feel imperfect, food isn’t the solution.

  4. Physical Shift: Engage in a quick activity that moves your body or shifts focus, like taking a short walk, stretching, or tidying up a room.

    → This will help break the immediate urge and give you space to regain control.